Garment stretcher



1945' A. c. SCHOEPFER ETAL 2,390,004

GARMENT STRETCHER Filed May 17, 1944 7 W WC a. M M ah 7 6 J 0 2 v w Patented Nov. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT STRETCHER Alfred C. Schoepfer and John W. Parker, Detroit, Mich.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to garment stretch'ers particularly adaptable for use in stretching a sweater or like form of garment avoiding the necessity of ironing the same subsequent to washing due to the fact that the garment is permitted to dry while held taut.

In its preferred form the device is made of wood or metal either plated or formed of a non-rusting material and consists of a head member I having outwardly extending arms 2 and 3. The upper surface of the arm has an arcuate outer surface to conform to the shape of the shoulders of a garment.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved garment hanger.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The head block I has a round portion 4 which extends through the neck portion of a garment supported thereon and a hook element 5 is provided for supporting the hanger on a convenient support. The inner face of the head member has the straight portion 6 provided with recesses at opposite ends to receive the ends of the parallel rods 1 and 1a and may be secured toth'e head as by the rivets 8. Supported on the rods I and la is a cross member formed of two like parts 9 and ID as shown and pins II and I2 engage in recesses provided in the opposed inner faces of the cross members 9 and [0, the purpose of which is to maintain the parts 9 and ID in longitudinal alignment.

The opposed ends of the members 9 and l also are apertured to receive a coiled spring l3 tending to force the members 9 and I0 apart to maintain them in frictional engagement with the rods I and 1a. Secured to the under side of the parts 9 and I0 is a metal strip 14 having an aperture I in each end through which the rod members 1 and la respectively extend. The strip M has slots Ila and Nb through which screws are inserted into the parts 9 and ill of the cross member as shown.

The purpose of the strip I4 is to prevent the spring [3 from deflecting the rods 1 and 1a outwardly as the members 9 and II] are moved downwardly thereover. There are also two rods [6 and lBa attached at the upper ends to the outer ends of the respective members 9 and I0 and lie in parallel relation with the rods 1 and la each of which have similar eyed ends lb and lo respectively,

The opposite ends of the rods I6 and [6a are respectively inserted through the eyes 11) and 1c of the rods 1 and la and into apertures in the cross bar l8 and secured in position therein as by means of rivets l9 or other manner. To the cross bar I8 is secured a parallel extensible bar l9a as by means of screws 20a but the members [8 and I9 may be integral in character. Each end of the bar la is formed with longitudinal recesses 20 and 2| to receive the ends of a U shaped wire like member 22 and on each of the U shaped wire members is a number of blocks 23, 24, 25 or more which are apertured to receive the parallel portions 20 and 21 of the respective U shaped member. By moving one or both the U shaped members outwardly from the position shown the blocks maybe spaced apart and thus the member [9 may be varied in length to correspond to the width of the garment to be attached thereto.

The member Illa and each of the blocks have a series of pins 26 projecting outwardly therefrom on each of the opposite sides and spaced apart longitudinally of the member l9a. When the garment is placed over the head member the skirt is secured by means of these pins. To stretch the garment the member l9 may be pulled in a direction away from the head member as by means of the ring 21 and the parts are held in the elongated relationship as the friction on the rods 1 and 1a by the blocks 9 and I0 caused by the spring l3 tends to prevent the garment from shrinking as it dries and thus move the bar l9 towards the head member I.

From the foregoing description it is believed evident that the device is simple and inexpensive in character and that various changes may be made in the structure and relationship of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus briefly described our invention, its utility and mode of operation, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device for stretching garments such as sweaters or the like comprising a head having its outer side of an arcuate form to approximately fit the shoulders of a garment, a pair of rods each having an end secured to the head and extending therefrom in substantially parallel relation, 'a cross member formed of two separate parts, each having a transverse aperture adjacent its outer end and being slidable on the respective rod, a spring between the parts of thecross member tending to force the same relatively outward to maintain the said parts in frictional contact with the respective rods, a rod on each end of the cross member extending therefrom parallel with the first named rod, a bar connected to the opposite end of the last named rods, and means on opposite sides of the bar for securing the skirt of the garment thereto whereby by moving the cross member in a direction away from the head member the garment may b held in stretched relation.

2. A device for stretching sweaters or the like comprising a head having arm portions extending outwardly thereof, the outer surface of the head and arms being shaped to practically fit the houlders of a garment, a pair of spaced rods having an end thereof secured to the head and extending therefrom in substantially parallel relation, a cross member formed of two separate parts, each having a transverse aperture adjacent its outer end to receive the rods and being slidable on the respective rod, means tending to force the parts of the cross member relatively outward to maintain the parts thereof in frictional contact with the respective rods, means carried by the cross member for preventing the spreading of the legs of .the U member as it is moved thereon, a rod on each end of the respective parts of the cross member extending therefrom in parallel relation with the first named rods, a bar connected to the opposite end of the last named rods, means on each of the opposite sides of the bar for securing the skirt of the garment thereto, said bar having movable portions for varying the length thereof.

3. A device for stretching garments such as sweaters or the like comprising a head having its outer side of an arcuate form to approximately fit the shoulders of a garment, a pair of rod each having an end secured to the head and extending therefrom in substantially parallel relation, a cross member formed of two separate parts, each having a transverse aperture adjacent its outer end to receive the rods and being slidable thereon, a spring between the parts of the cross member tending to force the same relatively outward to maintain the said parts in frictional contact with the respective rod, a rod on each end of the cross member extending therefrom parallel with the first named rods, a bar connected to the opposite end of the last named rods, means on opposite sides of the bar for securing the skirt of the garment thereto whereby by moving the cross member in a direction away from the head member the garment may be held in stretched relation, and means secured to the cross member adapted to prevent spreading of the first named pair of rods in movement of the cross member thereon.

4. A garment stretching device comprising a member having a form on its outer surface to practically fit within the shoulder of a garment, a pair of rods each having an end attached to the inner side of said member, a cross member having transverse apertures adjacent its ends to receive the rods, the cross member being formed of two like parts, a spring between the adjacent ends of the parts tending to spread the same to frictional contact with the rods, a bar secured to one edge of the cross member in a manner to permit relative movement of the two parts of the cross member therewith, said bar having eyes to receive the respective rods and to frictionally engage the outer side thereof to prevent spreading of the legs by the pressure exerted thereon by the spring, a rod attached to each end of the respective portions of the cross member and extending in parallel relation with the first named rods, a cross member secured to the opposite ends of the last named rods, and means associated With the last named cross member providing a hand hold for moving the cross member relative to the head.

5. A device for stretching garments such as sweaters or the like comprising a head having an outer surface to support the shoulders of a garment, a pair of rods each having an end secured to the head and extending therefrom in substantially parallel relation, a cross member having transverse apertures adjacent each of its outer ends to receive the respective rods, means associated with the cross member to maintain frictional contact thereof with the respective rods, a rod adjacent each end of the cross member extending parallel with the respective first named rods, the said first named rods having at the ends opposite the cross member an eye to receive the respective second named rods, a bar connected to the opposite end of the last named rods, and means on the said bar for securing the skirt of a garment thereto.

6. A garment stretching device comprising a head piece having an upper surface of a shape conforming to the shoulders of a garment within which the device is positionable, and a tail piece, the head piece having a pair of parallel rods and the tail piece also having a pair of rods in parallel relation respectively with the first named rods, a cross member formed of two like parts in end to end relationship, each having an aperture adjacent its outer end to receive the respective rods connected with the head piece, the outer end of the cross piece being attached to the end of the rods of the tail piece, and a spring means tending to separate the members of the cross piece thereby maintaining the same in frictional contact with the rods of the head piece.

ALFRED C. SCI-IOE-PFER. JOHN W. PARKER. 

